Commonwealth of New Graystone
"Currahee!" The Commonwealth of New Graystone, previously known as the New Graystone Republic of United Settlements '''and the '''State of New Graystone, also known by the abbreviations CNG and formerly the NGR, is a coalition of settlements originally founded by Harry Edwards, Drew Stanton and Katherine Appleby in response to the threat of the Frontiersmen. It is perhaps the first successful rebuild of pre-apocalypse society. It is a massive union of major and minor settlements, working together to survive. Located in the north-western USA and the southern border of Canada, and recently annexing the New Midwest, the Commonwealth is the largest replica of the Old World. It is considered a confederate stratocracy and is one of the three New World Commonwealths. History Founding The NGR was founded by the so-called Three Founders – Harry Edwards and Drew Stanton of Fort Clarkson, and Katherine Appleby of Prescott. Fort Clarkson, now known as the Capital, is the capital of the NGR, constructed from a massive military base. Prescott is the major city, built around an old airstrip. Other major settlements include Amjori, Fairbanks, Thomaston and the newly incorporated Site 65. Three months after the Edwards-Stanton Militia escaped from Archangel and settled Adams Air Force Base, having already named it Fort Clarkson, a small portion of the fighting force rode to the settlement of Prescott to the south-west, in order to discuss terms of a union against the Frontiersmen. Katherine Appleby, the leader of Prescott, declined such a deal on behalf of the townspeople but promised she would consider it if the Militia hunted down and killed a nearby troublesome walker named Old Graystone. In search of Old Graystone, the Edwards-Stanton Militia discovered the ruined husk of a town called New Graystone. When Edwards and his militia journeyed to what was left of the town, they quickly discovered the story of New Graystone. The town had been founded by a group of tribals called the Knowing Ones, who had somehow found a way to control walkers. They harboured a peculiar walker named the Knowing One, a walker that still held some of its humanity, and Old Graystone, the town’s namesake. However, the town and its people were massacred by a new tribe called ‘the Frontiersmen’, who believed the Knowing One was some kind of god. However, unlike the rest of the tribes the Frontiersmen had conquered, the Knowing Ones were completely wiped out. Now conscious of the intense threat the Frontiersmen were, Edwards and his militia led a retake of Prescott from Frontiersmen invaders led by Rictor. After the battle, Edwards was able to convince Katherine to join with Fort Clarkson in a union against the Frontiersmen. Alongside Drew Stanton, they signed the Unity Agreement, creating the New Graystone Republic of United Settlements. Early Days Evolution into the Commonwealth of New Graystone Society System As the NGR is a union of settlements, cooperation is paramount. According to the Unity Agreement, a document signed by all settlements within the NGR, all members of the union must lend their forces and resources to the stability of the stratocracy. Such cooperation is especially important when it comes to the ‘Deepwater’ and ‘Clockwork’ oil fields, the main source of fuel in the NGR. Guarding and maintaining the fields requires constant cooperation between settlements, otherwise resource battles could break out. The NGR has a strict ‘no conquering’ policy that demands that no settlement take over another’s territory or resources. Raiding is also a crime within the NGR, and is counterattacked with heavy paramilitary resistance; such a case was the siege on Site 65. Conscription into the paramilitary is compulsory unless a prior occupation is acquired, such as agricultural work or apprenticeships under the NGR Medical Union. The highest ranking members of the paramilitary are the Rangers, several of which are assigned to a specific settlement and tasked with defending it and the area around them. The most elite Rangers are the Veteran Circle, among which Harry Edwards, Alex Junior, Kyle Granger, Shadowman and Morrigan are included. Each soldier has a responsibility to their fellow combatants; hence the use of the term ‘Currahee’, which is also the motto of the NGR itself. The NGR is led by the leaders of each settlement, no matter how small. However, the core of the NGR’s leadership are the Three Founders: Harry Edwards and Drew Stanton of Fort Clarkson, and Katherine Appleby of Prescott. After the Battle of Archangel, the system was changed; the NGR spread out to the east, annexing the Frontier and transforming into the much larger State of New Graystone. Drew Stanton retired and Edwards was unanimously selected as the president of the State of New Graystone, as well as retaking his position as leader of Fort Clarkson. Over the next six years, after Fort Clarkson itself grew, it was renamed the Capital. After six years of prospering, the State of New Graystone was rallied against a new threat, a mysterious group called The Fear. After the defeat of the Fear, Edwards was invited by the New Buckingham Corps to enter the State into a new program, the New World Commonwealths. These commonwealths, each in control of considerable territory, would work together to slowly rebuild the Old World and return a widespread reflection of society. Edwards agreed, and the State was once again renamed as the Commonwealth of New Graystone. Paramilitary / Military However, the NGR’s greatest component is the NGR paramilitary, the security force of the Union, which defends the union from any and all threats. Equipped with Old World weaponry and equipment, the paramilitary is a force to be reckoned with, even against the devoted warriors of the Frontiersmen Legion. They the security enforcers of the union, responsible for defending the NGR from walkers, Frontiersmen and bandits. Equipped with Old and New World weapons, armour and equipment, the paramilitary is a true force to be reckoned with. It is because of the paramilitary’s strength that the NGR was considered a confederate stratocracy. Formed out of necessity at the start of the NGR-Frontiersmen war, part of the Unity Agreement states that any settlement that joins the NGR must delegate a handful of their resources to the paramilitary, from weapons, ammo, vehicles, fuel, armour and medical supplies. With a force of around 10,000 strong, almost nothing can stand up to the paramilitary. Due to a clause in the Unity Agreement, conscription into the paramilitary is compulsory for all those over the age of fourteen, unless a prior occupation is selected, such as working under the Medical Union or the Agriculture sector. The most elite members of the paramilitary are the Rangers, and the most elite of the Rangers is the Veteran’s Circle. After the Battle of Archangel, the NGR used the Frontier’s resources to upgrade the paramilitary into a fully-fledged military, more than sufficiently equipped to advance the NGR’s spread to the east and south. The NGR military will always be remembered for its advancement in re-establishing the ways of the Old World. Members Fort Clarkson Original Inhabitants * Harry Edwards - leader, 1st President of the State of New Graystone. * Drew Stanton - former co-leader. * Bethany Edwards - second in command, vice-principle of the State of New Graystone. * Alex Junior - former member of the military, warden at the Gate. * Sarah Stanton * Becky Stanton * Nicolas * Zoe * Carl McKenzie - community doctor, leader of the Medical Union. * Gideon Monroe - priest, member of the paramilitary. * 'Tinker' Tom - community engineer, leader of the Engineer's Union. * Katrina * Jimmy * Gracie * Numerous unnamed people. Newcomers * Kyle Granger - recruiter for the community. * Shadowman - former leader of the community, administrator for Blessing's Valley. * John Terrance - a survivor brought to the community after the Battle of Amjori. Member of the NGR paramilitary, sacrificed himself to blow up Trident Dam. * Gabriel Terrance - survivor brought to the community with John Terrance. Killer of Ajax, was killed by Kyle Granger after attacking Abigail in a fit of rage. * Abigail Granger - niece of Kyle Granger, daughter of Ajax. * Finn - former member of the Frontiersmen, captain of the guard for the community. * Numerous unnamed people. Prisoners * Lawrence Carter - a member of the original inhabitants, led a coup after the Battle of Archangel. Prescott Original Inhabitants * Katherine Appleby - leader of the community, commander of the Rangers. * Dominic Fairbanks Thomaston Trivia * This is the first group where other single groups have merged to make one larger and stronger one. * This is the first army or militia formed post-apocalypse to be commanded by the protagonist's group.